The trainer of Xerxes Dream, Michael O'Neill, of Long Flat, grabbed his first winning double, the other winner being The Hankinator (11-1), also ridden by Graham.

"It was great to win my third cup in as many years and to have my first winning double in front of my home crowd," O'Neill said.

He said that Graham showed his class with the ride on Xerxes Dream, trailing it out to the back of the field early before weaving a passage through the field to score by nearly two lengths from Kempsey's Brasileiro Macho and Miss Kardashian.

"It was a carbon copy ride of last year's win," he said.

"It is lucky that I ran my horse at Taree the other day as that topped him off for this race."

O'Neill has had the gelding on lease from Meringo Stud since it was a two-year-old and the cup was its seventh win, along with 10 placings, from 72 starts.

Graham said his opposition went hard up front and he was able to weave a passage through the field rounding the turn into the straight.

"My horse was well weighted and pretty fit," he said.

O'Neill said he may look at next racing Xerxes Dream in a 1900m race at Armidale.

The Hankinator which scored an all-the-way win in the Ray Millard Maiden Handicap over 1000m showed good gate speed and was never headed in scoring by 1.5 lengths from Yambaahchino, trained at the track by Colt Prosser.

"The Hankinator hasn't been finishing his races off until today and I might think about selling the five-year-old gelding."

Graham said he had a "good day" at the office in also easily winning on Ibelieveinmiracles (6-4), which was given a perfect trail before scoring by 2.3 lengths for Port trainer John Sprague and a big contingent of celebrating owners.

Prosser didn't go home empty handed as he had a length win with his five-year-old mare Lily Bear (5-2).

Apprentice hoop Mollie Partridge was aboard.

It beat Prosser's father Grant's galloper Floral One in the Barry Smith Benchmark 45 Handicap over 1000m in a slick just over 58 seconds.

The mare was given a fortnight in the paddock after fourth over 1200m at Tuncurry on August 29 and the freshen up did the trick.

"She wasn't going as well as when she won three races in a row and there were thoughts of putting her to stud," Prosser said.

"That may now be put on hold and I will try and win more races with her runs being spaced.

"She suffers from weak bones and needs to recuperate."

Taree trainer Matthew Robinson only had one galloper at the meeting in Corey (13-2) but it was a narrow winner for jockey Ben Looker from Tuncurry gelding Desert Land, trained by Terry Evans, in the Vince O'Brien Class 1 Handicap over 1240m.

Racing returns to Taree on Friday for a TAB meeting featuring the $40,000 Hopkins-Livermore Cup over 1400m.